Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) is an attractive 5 terminal airport and its roadway entrances are both inviting and functional to handle many patrons per hour. One of the 20 busiest airports, BWI features flights to all major cities in North America. It has free WiFi, shopping, dining, lounge, meditation room and passenger amenities sprinkled around each terminal.  The concourse between Terminals C & B feature a tribute and monument to Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court Justice and native to Baltimore.  Unusual for an airport, it has an invting jogging trail surrounding the premises.  BWI AIRPORT TERMINAL MAP

 

BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport

credit Annapolis CVB

 

 

Transit: MTA light rail train run frequently from BWI Airport to downtown Batlimore Mon-Fri 6a-11p, Sat 7a-11p, Sun and Holidays 11a-7p.  Super Shuttle: is available for the 10-mile ride to downtown Baltimore for less than $20. Make your reservation via 800-258-3826.  Taxis: Diamond and Yellow cabs at the ground transportation level are plentiful.  Car Rentals: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty provide service. Board the Rental Car bus as you exit the any terminalt. When you exit the BWI Rental Car Facility, follow the signs carefully to Baltimore-Washington Parkway, northbound to downtown Baltimore or southbound to Washington DC.

 

Penn Station, with its Neo-Greek architecture, café, gift shop and airy atmosphere, is a great venue for travelers.  Located just north of downtown at 1500 North Charles Street, this intermodal transportation center stays busy hosting a light rail, commuter rail, a large taxi depot and several Amtrak routes:

Acela: DC-Baltimore-Philadelphia-NYC-New Haven-Providence-Boston
Crescent: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Charlotte-Atlanta-New Orleans
Palmetto/Silver: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Jacksonville-Miami
Carolinian: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Richmond-Raleigh-Charlotte
Cardinal: NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC-Cincinnati-Indy-Chicago
Vermonter: St Albans-Burlington-NYC-Philadelphia-Baltimore-DC

 

Penn Station, Baltimore

 

Amtrak Acela trains speed up to 135 mph between New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington and depart every 20-30 minutes.  Bigger plans are ahead for Acela High Speed Rail upgrades in the Northeast Corridor.

Mass Transit Administration (MTA) provides 1 heavy rail (subway & elevated) line and 3 light rail lines rediating from Downtown to BWI Airport, train stations, colleges, and major entertinment and employment centers.  Metrorail uses a thin plastic fare card common to transit systems worldwide and operates 5a-Midnight with 8-15 minute train frequency, depending on commute hour and day.  One-way costs $1.60, while a Day Pass costs $3.50.  See the route stations on METRO RAIL SYSTEM MAP

 

Green (heavy rail): Johns Hopkins Hospital-Downtown-Owings Mills

Blue (light rail): Timonium-Downtown-Cromwell

Yellow (light rail): Hunt Valley-Downtown-BWI Airport

Penn Station-Camden Station (Light Rail)

 

MTA is now focused on funding to build a new Red Line light rail for the Social Security-West Baltimore-Downtown-Canton-Dundalk corridor.

 

MTA Yellow Line light rail beside Baltimore Convention Center

MARC commuter rail system is managed by the MTA and features two lines of service that terminate at Washington Union Station:  MARC SYSTEM MAP

 

Camden Yards-Dorsey-Jessup-Greenbelt-College Park-Union Station

Perryville-Penn Station-West Baltimore-BWI Airport-New Carrollton-Union Station

 

A shuttle bus from the MARC-Amtrak BWI Station runs every 10-15 minutes to BWI Airport.  MARC fares between Baltimore and Washington are inexpensive, but the commuter train makes lots of stops along the way.  If you need to get between the cities faster, take Amtrak.

Baltimore Freeway Network radiate 5 freeways from the city core, plus a suburban beltway encircling the city.  In general, freeways, tunnels and bridges are well maintained. Some feature HOV lanes and roadside greenery.  Crossing Francis Scott Key Bridge provides a nice vista for passengers and tunnel tolls are reasonably priced for their distance.

 

I-695 continues via Francis Scott Key Bridge over Potapsco River

 

Driving to DC during commute hours is an endurance test. So at least enjoy the beautiful landscape of 295 Baltimore Washington Parkway, rather than I-95 Freeway. BEWARE: After displacing thousands of West Baltimore residents decades ago, the incomplete I-170 Freeway never connects with I-70 Freeway. Freeway and tunnel names are:

  10    Arundel Freeway, south of Baltimore
  29    Columbia Pike (freeway) connects Columbia to I-70
  40    US Highway that preceded I-70 Freeway
  70    Baltimore National Pike (freeway) to Frederick, MD
  83    Interstate Freeway from Baltimore to Harrisburg, PA
  95    Fort McHenry Tunnel & JFK Freeway connects to East Coast
  97    Glen Burnie Bypass Freeway south of Baltimore
100    Connector freeway between 29, I-95, 295, I-97, 10 freeways
170    West Baltimore Freeway
195    Connector freeway between UMBC, I-95, 295 & BWI Airport
295    Baltimore Washington Parkway
495    Baltimore Beltway/Francis Scott Key Bridge circles the city
795    Northwest Freeway from Beltway to Owings Mills
895    Harbor Tunnel Thruway bypasses downtown